Seymchan Pallasite Meteorite - SOLD 13.01g
Seymchan Pallasite Meteorite - SOLD 13.01g
Among the hundreds of meteorite classifications, pallasites hold a coveted place. To scientists, their unique blend of minerals holds clues to the formation of the solar system. To the collector, their glassy olivine crystals are a beautiful sight to behold.
This specimen is a piece of the Seymchan Pallasite Meteorite, measuring 13.01g. The Seymchan meteorite mass was discovered in 1967, but only decades later were olivine samples found, revealing it to be a pallasite. Less than 1% of all meteorite material belongs to this special pallasite classification, so the material is quite rare!
The Glowing Heart of an Asteroid
Pallasites are a striking form of stony-iron meteorites that can be identified by their large olivine crystal forms. These meteorite specimens are slices of the Seymchan Pallasite Meteorite, which perfectly showcases the beautiful olivine matrix that makes it so unique. Less than 1% of all found meteorites are classified as pallasites, so this is a rare find indeed.
How exactly these meteorites formed is a bit of a mystery. One model suggests that they formed from small asteroids impacting larger protoplanets, mixing in iron and nickel into the active cores of the protoplanets, producing the stunning meteorites you can see here.
The meteorite has been cut to show a cross-section of the dynamic material. You can see fantastic olivine inclusions that shift in vibrancy depending on the angle and intensity of light falling on them.
Each specimen is a one-of-a-kind meteorite section and no two are exactly alike. Every piece is sure to catch the eye of rockhounds and stargazes alike! You can explore the complete collection of pallasites and other meteorites below!
📸 THE SYMCHAN MAIN MASS
MORE ABOUT SEYMCHAN & PALLASITES
📸 A PALLASITE SAMPLE WITH OLIVINE INCLUSIONS
THE STAINED GLASS METEORITE
The Seymchan Pallasite Meteorite was discovered in 1967, named for a city near the discovery site in Eastern Russia. Among the ordinary rocks along a stream bed, geologist F. A. Mednikov uncovered an otherworldy stone, but only in 2004 were samples discovered with olivine inclusions, revealing the meteorite to be a pallasite.
Pallasites are characterized by a unique matrix of the mineral olivine embedded in solidified iron and nickel. The combination of such materials is as surprising to science as it is beautiful to the eye. The unusual matrix of the Pallasite is formed by the intrusion of molten metal into layers of olivine. Olivine is made of magnesium iron silicate with numerous variations on Earth and beyond.
📸 A PERIDOT CRYSTAL, FOUND ON EARTH
We have discovered olivine on the Moon and Mars and detected olivine's spectral signature in the dust disks surrounding young stars and in comet tails. Peridot is the gem-quality variant of olivine.
While this sort of mixing is likely to occur in the reaction zones between the core-mantle boundary in large bodies, gravity should separate these materials due to their varied densities. This is one reason that pallasite formation is such an active topic in the scientific community; it also explains why less than 1% of all found meteorites are classified as pallasites.
Further Reading
Davis, Andrew M., ed. Meteorites, Comets, and Planets: Treatise on Geochemistry. Vol. 1. Elsevier, 2005.
Garnero, Edward J., Allen K. McNamara, and Sang-Heon Shim. "Continent-sized Anomalous Zones with Low Seismic Velocity at the Base of Earth's Mantle." Nature Geoscience (2016).
Klosterman, Michael J., and Peter R. Buseck. "Structural Analysis of Olivine in Pallasitic Meteorites: Deformation in Planetary Interiors." Journal of Geophysical Research 78.32 (1973): 7581-7588.
McKibbin, S. J., et al. "Rapid Cooling of Planetesimal Core-mantle Reaction Zones from Mn-Cr Isotopes in Pallasites." Geochem. Perspect 2 (2016): 68-77.
Stevens, Michael R., David R. Bell, and Peter R. Buseck. "Tubular Symplectic Inclusions in Olivine from the Fukang Pallasite." Meteoritics & Planetary Science 45.5 (2010): 899-910.
Tarduno, John A., et al. "Evidence for a Dynamo in the Main Group Pallasite Parent Body." Science 338.6109 (2012): 939-942.Weiss, Benjamin P. "A Vitrage of Asteroid Magnetism." Science 338.6109 (2012): 897-898.
